


our little talks

by softlass27



Series: Aaron Week 2020 [6]
Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Adolescent Sexuality, Bisexuality, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-17
Updated: 2020-10-17
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:48:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27062923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/softlass27/pseuds/softlass27
Summary: Aaron Week Day 6: “They know. I don’t know how they do, but they’ve figured it out.”Teenage Seb comes home a little drunk, and he and Aaron have a chat before bed.
Relationships: Aaron Dingle/Robert Sugden
Series: Aaron Week 2020 [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1967971
Comments: 17
Kudos: 68





	our little talks

Seb made his Saturday night curfew by the skin of his teeth. Just three minutes before midnight, Aaron looked up from the TV at the sound of a loud thud against the front door, shortly followed by some low mumbling and weird scratching sounds.

Carefully extracting himself from a dozing Robert, Aaron got up from the sofa and went to the front door, swinging it open to find a slightly dishevelled-looking Seb stood on the doorstep with his keys.

“Oh!” Seb blinked owlishly at him. “Sorry, couldn’t get the key in the lock. Think there’s summat wrong with it.”

He swayed slightly on the spot, and Aaron rolled his eyes before ushering him into the living room, where Robert had woken up.

“Oh, hey mate,” he said around a wide yawn. “You have a good time?”

“Mm-hm,” Seb nodded slowly. He was holding himself very carefully, standing ramrod straight and keeping one hand on the doorframe. “Just got a taxi back with Isaac, dropped me off before they went to Uncle Cain's.”

“How was the party, then? Fun?” 

Seb gave them a few details about the night, speaking slowly and over-articulating most of his words, in a way that only a very drunk person would do in an effort to convince people that they weren’t actually drunk. Aaron nodded along with his story, fighting a grin.

“Well, I’d better… ” Seb gestured vaguely in the direction of the staircase.

“Okay, g’night then.”

“Night.”

Seb started making his way up the stairs, gripping the bannister very tightly. Aaron had a feeling that if he were to let go, he’d fall right back to the bottom again. About halfway up, he tripped on a step with a loud _clang_ and fell onto his palms. 

“Whoops!”

“Need a hand, there?” Robert called out, amused.

“I’m okay!” Seb waved them off, pushing himself up and disappearing upstairs.

Once Aaron was sure that he was in his room and not about to break his neck, he flopped back on the sofa.

“He’s wasted, isn’t he?” Robert said mildly, resting his head against Aaron’s shoulder.

“Drunk as a skunk.”

“How do we feel about that? We need to punish him or anything?”

“Well… he didn’t travel alone or try to do something stupid like walk or catch a bus. And he’s back before curfew, so… maybe a quick reminder about drinking responsibly but other than that, I think we’re good.”

“Good,” Robert nodded against Aaron’s arm. “That’s how I thought we felt.”

“I’d better go bring him some water, though.”

Aaron filled a glass and snagged a packet of paracetamol, before making his way towards Seb’s room. As he approached the slightly-ajar door, he heard the sound of Seb talking to someone, his words much more slurred than they had been before.

“I think they know I’m drunk. I dunno how they do, but they’ve figured it out.”

Aaron held back a snort, before knocking lightly on the door and pushing it open. Seb was sprawled out on his bed, shoes still on, with his phone pressed to his ear. He looked at Aaron with startled eyes, before speaking quickly into the phone.

“Gotta go, talk to you tomorrow.” He hung up and looked at Aaron sheepishly.

“That Isaac?”

“Er, yeah, jus’ checking he got home alright.”

“Nice of you,” Aaron couldn’t help smiling at his soft-natured son. “Brought you these, figured you’ll need them later.”

Seb winced as Aaron set down the water and painkillers. 

“Uh… ”

“You weren’t exactly up for any Olivier Awards with that little performance downstairs, kiddo.”

“M’only a _tiiiny_ bit drunk,” Seb mumbled, holding his thumb and forefinger a  centimetre apart to illustrate his point.

“If you say so.”

Aaron unlaced Seb’s trainers and eased them off his feet, before grabbing the blanket bunched at the foot of the bed and pulling it up over his shoulders.

“What about Dad?” Seb asked him, wide-eyed. “Does he know I’m drunk, too?” His voice was hushed, as if he was concerned Robert would be able to hear him from downstairs.

Aaron barked a laugh at the look on his face, which was near-identical to the look he used to give Aaron when he’d been caught eating sweets before dinner.  “I think he caught on, yes. It’s alright, though, you're not in trouble.”

“M’kay.” Seb’s eyes squeezed shut and he groaned.

“You good?”

“Room’s spinning

“Yeah, that's what tends to happen after vodka. Sleep it off, I’ll make you a hangover fry-up in the morning.”

“Ugh, alright.”

He was about to leave, when Seb’s hand shot out to stop him.

“Dad?”

“Hm?”

“I wasn’ talking to Isaac on the phone.”

“No?” Aaron raised an eyebrow and perched on the edge of the bed. “Who were you talking to, then?”

“Ryan.” 

“Ryan… ” Aaron mentally flicked through his catalogue of people in Seb's life, drawing a blank. “Do we know him?”

Seb shook his head against the pillow.

“He a new mate of yours, then?”

“He’s… my mate, yeah.” Behind the drunken haze, Aaron could see a sudden burst of affection in his son’s eyes. “But he’s… I _like_ him.” He was whispering again, like he was telling Aaron a secret.

Oh. _Oh right._

That was new. Over the last few years, there’d been a _Jennifer_ , then a _Freya_ , then up until a few months ago it was a _Zoe_. Never a name like _Ryan_ , though.

“You like him, eh?” Aaron reached up and laid a hand on Seb’s shoulder, stroking softly. “He must be pretty nice, then.”

“He is,” Seb smiled sleepily. “An’ funny, really funny. Diff'rent. Has nice hair.”

“Wow, he sounds great,” Aaron smiled back at him, and decided to leave it there. The last thing he wanted was for Seb to start drunkenly spilling all his secrets now, only to regret it the next morning. “Tell you what, why don’t you get some sleep, then you can tell me and Dad about Ryan tomorrow, when you’re sober? Or whenever you feel like it, yeah?”

“Hmm, ’kay.” Seb’s eyes fell shut, and his breathing began to slow.

“Okay,” Aaron stood again and flicked off the bedside lamp. "Night, mate.”


End file.
